Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 40 (Part 1):

As he listened to their conversation, Helmut was able to grasp the situation of the world around him.

Helmut, who harbored a seed of darkness, found himself at odds with the temple. Gathering information about an enemy was beneficial.

“In that sense, I’m curious about this mage named Antiol. To openly oppose the temple and still survive, his skills must be extraordinary.”

“That’s why he’s called an archmage.”

“But I’ve heard he’s a bit… eccentric.”

While listening to the conversation that followed, Helmut was deep in thought. He was intrigued by the sorcerer named Antiol.

However, he must hide his own identity. The enemy of an enemy could be a friend, but trusting a sorcerer he’s never met before is a different matter.

He could end up being used as an experiment. Meeting a human with a seed of darkness would be a first for that sorcerer too.

‘The seed of darkness within me.’

Though it was suppressed by Vis, passing through the forest filled with demonic energy these past days had caused it to swell slightly.

Seeking his past, improving his skills, but also finding a way to eradicate the seed of darkness was necessary.

It was a spark that could ignite at any moment, a cursed power that could consume Helmut in madness.

There were few who knew how to eliminate the seed of darkness. The temple deemed it impossible to remove, thus they killed or sent those born with it to the Forest of Roots.

If divine magic can’t do it, could other magic possibly succeed? Helmut was curious about this.

‘Could a mage called an archmage be any different?’

Antiol, Helmut firmly etched that name into his mind.

*

The next day, the Pace Mercenary Corps finally reached the outskirts of that accursed forest.

As if the times they couldn’t sleep a wink due to ambushes were a distant memory, the journey was peaceful.

With their small numbers, only about two people were assigned to each carriage.

“We should reach our destination in about four days,” said Tanya.

This reminded Finn, who suddenly asked, “What about the rank 2 mercenaries, Paul and Max, who ran away?”

“They wouldn’t have gone back to the Tariq Mercenary Corps, not if they have any conscience.”

Sean, who was walking behind, contradicted, “No, they’ll think we’re all dead and they might have returned to the Tariq Mercenary Corps.”

“Even if they survived, they’ll be reprimanded, but they can excuse it as an unavoidable situation.”

“The reputation of the Butan Company that gave us this reckless mission will also take a hit.”

“We’ll have to tell the truth about them.”

“Seeing our faces again would surely knock them out, right?”

“If we’re lucky, we might run into them in the village. It’s the closest one from here, after all.”

Finn gritted his teeth as he spoke.

“Those bastards, I swear, I’ll grind them into dust if I see them.”

“With your skills? They are rank 2 mercenaries. Even Phien wouldn’t dare.”

But there are no beating numbers, and an ambush could work. Their 3rd-rank mercenaries are among the top in their rank. Tanya also silently fumed.

“Then, if Helmut…”

“Hey, keep it down.”

Tanya cautioned them. It was important that Miles and Henry, the only survivor from the Tariq Mercenary Corps, didn’t overhear.

Everyone agreed to keep quiet about Helmut’s abilities. Apart from Finn, it seemed unlikely anyone would spill the beans.

Of the compensation received for this request, 70% was supposed to go to Helmut, not to mention all earnings from the demonic carcasses.

‘It might not be enough for saving our lives, but we need to make a living too.’

Phien smiled awkwardly. Without Helmut, the mission would have failed. Not just failed, but it would have resulted in the annihilation of the mercenary corps.

Helmut thought his share was fair, considering the help they provided. It was a satisfying division.

“But Helmut, you haven’t forgotten about treating us, right?”

Finn approached, casually placing a hand on Helmut’s shoulder. It seemed he had given up on figuring out how to treat Helmut and just defaulted to familiarity. It was just like Finn to forget how they had once viewed Helmut as a monster.

‘When did I make such a promise?’

Finn seemed to have firmly decided in his mind that a casual remark was a concrete promise.

Before Helmut could even open his mouth, Sean interjected with an incredulous look.

“Hey, Finn. Have you no shame? You should be the one treating. It’s strange you’re still in one piece considering how Helmut has been looking out for you.”

“You’re the fool who got hurt. And now you’re blaming me?”

Sean started to retaliate, but Tanya intervened.

“Enough, we’re still on a mission. That’s all for the chatter!”

“We’ll see about this later.”

Finn playfully stuck out his tongue at Sean. It was a typical day for the Pace Mercenary Corps. Phien ended the conversation with a laugh.

“I’ll cover the tab. So, think about what you want to eat.”

That seemed to energize everyone. They picked up the pace and by evening, they reached the nearest small village to the forest.

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